Lubricant retainer for the supporting springs of vehicles



Feb. 23, 1937. c. 0 Ross 2,071,854

LUBRICANT RETAINER FOR THE SUPPORTING SPRINGS OF VEHICLES Filed June 21, 1935 I o o 0CZ 009G /2 w VEN me By Guam/e0 0.?055

M. W olpd'd Patented Feb. 23, 1931 2 071 354 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFlQE 2,071,854 LUBRICANT RETAINER FQR THE SUPPORT- ;zr ING srnrnes or VEHICLES r i 22% Clifford Boss, Beverly Hills, Calif. Application June 21, 1935, Serial No. 27,782

3 Claims. (01. 267-49) This invention relates to lubricant retainers said spring. The apertures are struck from the for the supporting springs of vehicles, and has plate by means of a punch of any suitable well for .an object the provision of means which can be known form whereby in the punching operation freely inserted between ad acent leaves of the portions of the wall surfaces of the apertures spring in a manner to expose surfaces thereof for will be drawn in a direction axially of the aper- 5- direct contact with a retained q 'antity of lubriture, to thus provide each aperture with a' c1rcant, whereby to effect better lubrication of the cular sharp-edged barb l2, the purpose of which spring than that provided for by others of the will appear presently.

7 devices of the prior art. As previously stated, the plate It is of thin 10 Another object is to provide a lubricant regauge metal. That is to say, the thickness of '0 tainer which when inserted between the leaves of the plate is considerably less than that of any the spring will be effectively held against accione of the leaves of the spring S, yet suflicient dental displacement from a position of intended to give ample depth to the apertures H to enable adjustment. them to receive and hold a charge or quantity of V A further object is to provide a lubricant re-' lubricant which can be utilized to maintain the tainer which can be struck from a single piece of spring leaves in a lubricated condition.- metal to provide (1) means for holding a charge In practice, as many of the plates H) can be of lubricant and disposing same for wiping conemployed as desired; in Figure l of the accomtact with adjacent surfaces of the leaves of the panying drawing, in which approximately one- 2 spring, and (2) means for anchoring the plate half of a supporting spring is shown, two such between said leaves. plates are employed, each placed flatwise be- Other objects and advantages will be made tween adjacent ones of the spring leaves and dismanifest in the following specification, in which posed with the barbs 12 extending downwardly several embodiments of the invention are dewhere they can firmly engage the upper surface 5 scribed and illustrated in the accompany ng of the lower one of the two leaves between which drawing, in which the plate is disposed, the under surface of the Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of a upper one of said two leaves bearing. substanleaf spring showing a preferred embodiment of tially flatwise against the upper face of said the invention applied thereto; plate. By reason thereof, the barbs bite into said 0 Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of lower one of the leaves and penetrate the metal Figure 1; thereof sufficiently to secure the plate in a firm Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the device position of intended adjustment and to seal the removed from the spring; lubricant charges from downward loss from said Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of apertures. 5 Figure 3, showing the device on an enlarged scale The spring can be lubricated in the customary 33 and illustrating same between adjacent leaves manner and the apertures ll filled with lubricant. of the spring; When the plates are placed between the spring Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of a further form leaves as above described, the lubricant contained of the device; in the apertures will be drawn upon in the ordi- 40 Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5; nary use of the spring and same will be gradually 40 Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of a further displaced from said apertures for intended distriform of the device. bution to the confronting surfaces of said leaves. In the form of the device illustrated in Figures This is made possible by reason both of capillary 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawing, same is used attraction and by reason of a slight pumping of in connection with vehicle supporting springs S, the lubricant from the apertures induced by move- 5 the leaves of which are, respectively, of graduated ment of the leaves relative to said plates. lengths and secured to each other intermediate In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6, the plate the ends thereof. The device consists of a thin Isa has formed therein suitable lubricant holdmetallic plate ill of substantially uniform thicking apertures Ma and struck from the plates are ness throughout, the same having a plurality of anchoring or retaining barbs lZa, the latter func- 50 apertures ll extending transversely therethrough. tioning like barb l2 to secure the plate between These apertures thus open onto the respective the companion leaves of the spring. In addition sides of the plate and each said aperture is thereto, the plate is formed with amarginal sharp designed to hold a charge of lubricant such as is edge l3 of the same depth as the barbs, the same commonly used as a lubricant for the leaves of functioning to prevent escape of the lubricant 55 hat is claimed is: l. A lubricant retainer for vehicle springs of the type employing resilient metallic leaves disposed one on top of the other, comprising a plate of thin at than the metal of said leaves and adapted for lateral insertion between the leaves so that one side of the plate faces a confronting face of one leaf and the other side is correspondingly related manner as to provide the plate with a multiplicity of transverse rows of lubricant-retaining openings passing entirely through the plate and dispenetrate the metal of the confronting spring leaf under the pressure imposed on the plate by the spring.

CLIFFORD O. ROSS. 

